Electrical sign-receptacle.



E. H. FREEMAN. ELECTRICAL SIGN RBGBPTAOLE.

: APPLICATION FILED MAY 17,1913.

' Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

7 To all whom it may concern:

EITED v sTAs FA N Q EEeAE 1a. FREEMAN, or TBENTON, E J EsEY, AssIGNoE r0 E. H. FREEMAN ELEG- rEIo COMPANY, OF TRENTON, NEW aEEsEY, A ooEPoE 'rIo OF NEW JEEsEY.

i ELECTRICAL SIGN-RECEPTACLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Application filed May 17,1913, Serial No. 768,235.

Beit known that I, EDGAR H. FREEMAN, a citizenof the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new.

and useful Improvements in Electrical-Sign- Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical receptacles of the type which are specially adapted for use as sign receptacles to carry the lamps of an electric sign.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an electrical sign receptacle of simple and compact construction, and one in which the active parts of the receptacle are thoroughly and effectually protected from weather conditions; the invention contemplates a construction of receptacle which embodies a minimum number of parts of simple and practical design so that the same can be easily and cheaply manufactured, while at the same.

time arranged in such a manner as to. insure the establishment and maintenance of an electrical circuit when the two parts of the receptacle are secured together so as to engage respectively upon opposite sides of a supporting element or sign sheet.

Another general object of the invention is to preserve therein the desirable feature of having the two principal parts or members of the receptacle actas a clamp for engagement with the sign sheet so that other supporting or fastening meansare unnecessary to secure the receptacle to the sheet.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as willmore fully appearfas the descrlption pro-.

'vention, showing the sign sheet in dotted At the same time lines. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of'the complete receptacle shown clamped in position on a slgn sheet or equivalent support- Fig. 5 is a perspective generalorganization two principal parts or members, namely an inner cup member 1 and an outer cup member 2 adaptedto be fitted one within't-he other and also adapted to be clamped respectively upon opposite sides of the sign sheet or other supporting element S, said supporting element being provided wlth the usual hole or opening through which. the receptacle body is in- :serted and exposed for the mounting of the electrical plug carried by the lamp.

.The' telescopically.registering .cup members 2 and 3 are made of porcelain, fiber, or other insulating mat/enal such as' is commonly employed for manufacturing fixtures of this character, and for the purpose. of

properly securing the receptacle within the sign sheet andto prevent turning thereof,

the sign sheet preferably has the opposite edge portions ofits opening, as at 3, pressed by retaining projections on the inner cup member 1, into. keeper notches 5 formed at' opposite-points in the clamping edge por- .tion of theouter cup member 2. The said 7 clamping edge portion of the outer cup member 2 clamps against one side of the sign sheet, and the shouldered collar 6 at the outer, edge of the inner cup member 1 clamps uponthe opposite side of the sign sheet, as shown, thus providing a self-sustaining clamp for the receptacle which is also held against turning.

According to the present invention, the

inner cup member 1 is adapted to loosely register within the socket of the outer cup member 2, and is provided with an integral insulating bottom piece 7 which is of a solid formation and provides a substantial base upon w'hiehis secured the screw shell contact 8 which is housed entirely within the socket part of the said inner cup 'member. The screw shell or side contact 8 is provided at'its inner edge with an'inturned securing 'i flange 9 that rests flat upon the bottom piece 7 and is held in place by the combined conducting and securing screws 10 which pass through screw openings 11 provided therefor in. the. said bottom piece 7 The threaded ends of the said screws 10 engage in threaded openings formed in opposite portions. of a universal contact ring 12 arrangedfiat against the outer side of the bottom piece 7, soas to be housed Wholly within-thespaee between the said bottom piece and the inn'er side of the integral insulating bottom piece 13 of theouter cup member 2. r i p The center plug contact'of the receptacle consists of a: single connecting screw' 14 extending through a'lined central'openings provided respectively in the bottom pieces 7 and 13, and the head of the said screw is exposed centrallyat the bottom of the recess '17.,is' formed in the outer side of the bottom"piece 13 of the outer cup member,

and carries the usual binding" screw 19 which is exposed in the plane of one of the line Wire grooves 20. I r The through line wire groove 20formed in the outer side of the bottom piece 13 has exposedtherein afthrough wire terminal plate 21 which carries a binding screw 22 and is of a forked construction so as to provide oppositely extending arms 23, one ter- Ininal of each of said arms being threaded to receive the threaded end of a conducting screw 24- eirtending through the bottom piece "lgandalso through one arm of a folded or doubled contact spring'25 seated in a recess 26in the inner side of the bottom piece 13. Thus, a pair of the contact springs 25 is held atthe inner side ofthe bottom piece 13 andhoused in the space between the two bottom pieces 7 and 13 for substantial engagement with the universal contact ring 12. Acc'ordingly, regardless of the relative rotationof the two cup members, the springs 25 andtlie contact ring 12 insure a positive electrical contact between the screw shell contact and one of the wire terminal plates, and furthermore the springs 25 adapt themselves, within reasonablelimits, to the relative longitudinal'or telescopic adjustment of the two cup members. Consequently, this provides a means for establishing and maintaining electrical communication between the plug contacts and the wire terminal plates under all reasonable adjustments of the receptacle, while at the same time thoroughly protecting the interior contacts from outside weather conditions and only leaving exposed the binding connections for the line wires.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantagesof the hereindescribed electrical sign receptacle will be readily apparent without further description, and it will be also understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

VVhat'I claim is:

1. A sign receptacle comprising a pair of telescoping cup members, wire terminal plates arranged upon one of the cup mem- 'bers, plug contacts carried by the other cup member, one of said plug contacts having a direct connection with one of the wire terminal plates, a contact member carried by one of said cup members adapted to be housed in thespace between the said two cup members, and contact springs carried by the other of said cup members also adapted to be housed within the space between the two cup members for engagement with said contact member, said contact springs having electrical connection with the other wire terminal plate.

2. A sign receptacle comprising a pair of telescoping cup members, one of which carries both wire terminal plates, a combined center plug contact and connecting screw adjustably connected with one wire terminal plate, a screw shell contact arranged within one cup member, a contact ring connected with the screw shell contact and arranged upon the outside face of the bottom piece of one cupmember, and contact springs fitted uponthe inner face of the bottom piece of the other cup member and connected with the other wire terminalplate, said springs being adapted to metallically engage with said contact ring when the two members are united.

t 3. A sign receptacle comprising a pair of telescoping cup members, two wire terminal plates mounted upon the outer side of the bottom of the outer cup member, one of said wire terminal plates being of, a forked co'nstruction,a pair of contact springs fitted to the inner face of said bottom piece of the cup member and having screw conouter face of the bottom of the inner cup 10 nections respectively with the separate arms member;

of the forked wire terminal plate, a center Intestimony whereof I hereunto afiinmy plug contact screw extending through the signature in the presence of two witnesses. bottoms of both cup members and engaging a one wire terminal plate, a screw shell con- GA FREEMAN tact within the inner cup member, and a Witnesses: i contact ring having screw connections with v v MABY"SQ'GURTIS,' the shell contact and mounted upon the ADA'MARSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

